1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cameras and, more particularly, to improved ways of moving various optical filters in front of or away from a lens in a camera that is configured for both daytime and nighttime usage.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Game animal observation for recreation and/or for scouting in association with hunting activities is growing increasingly popular. Game animal observation or scouting activities can include implementation of scouting cameras for taking photographs, video footage, or other video recordings. Use of scouting cameras for game animal observation or scouting is generally known.
At times, it can be desirable to use scouting cameras for memorializing both (i) daytime or diurnal activities, and (ii) nighttime or nocturnal activities of game animals. To accomplish this, some game animal observers or hunters us multiple cameras at a single scouting location, e.g., a conventional scouting camera for daytime use and a camera with an infrared flash for nighttime use. Purchasing, using, and maintaining multiple cameras for scouting a single game animal at a single location can be relatively expensive and burdensome.
Other approaches to scouting game animals during both daytime and nighttime periods include using a single camera that is configured for both daytime and nighttime functionality. These include film and other cameras that are sensitive to infrared illumination and have infrared filters that can be positioned in front of their lenses. In this configuration, an infrared filter is positioned in front of and prevents infrared illumination from entering a lens during daytime use. During nighttime use, the filter is moved away from the lens, allowing the infrared illumination to pass therethrough and facilitate creation of infrared images. In this regard, known scouting cameras accommodate both daytime and nighttime usage.
Notwithstanding, known scouting cameras capable of both daytime and nighttime usage have at least some drawbacks. Exemplary of such drawbacks is that known cameras use a mechanism that is energized and held in its energized state to maintain either a filtering or non-filtering position of the infrared filter. Some known cameras energize a mechanism to move an infrared filter over a lens, in a filtering position. The infrared filter is maintained in this filtering position by keeping the mechanism energized. In other words, in such scouting cameras, the mechanism is always energized when the infrared filter is positioned over the lens. In other known scouting cameras, the filter is maintained not in its filtering position but rather in a non-filtering position by maintaining a mechanism in an energized state.
It is also known in some prior art cameras to incorporate a spring or spring-like device to mechanically hold a filter in a default position, whether the default position is a filtering or non-filtering position. Such springs can have a limited use life and can fatigue or fail over time, requiring time intensive and costly repair.
Regardless of whether the default position of the infrared filter is a filtering or non-filtering position, during use in the other, e.g., non-default filter position, the mechanism of known scouting cameras is continuously energized while maintaining at least one of the positions. Furthermore, the mechanism is energized to move the infrared filter back and forth between such filtering and non-filtering positions. Moving the infrared filter takes time and therefore causes slow response times, significantly comprising performance when trying to capture targets in motion. Additionally, moving and maintaining infrared filter positions can create a significant power demand and correspondingly use a significant amount of energy over time. This can be problematic because scouting cameras tend to be mounted in remote locations for relatively long periods of time making, for example, battery replacement or recharging inconvenient. An improvement on these drawbacks was desired.